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FEWER THAN HALF of Irish companies acknowledge their employees’ birthdays according to a new survey of 200 office workers.
The survey conducted by office supplies provider Viking also showed almost 80 per cent of office workers say they would appreciate their birthday being celebrated in the workplace with the majority citing a day off as the most sought after gesture.
Three quarters of workers admit to going on a big night out to celebrate their birthday, despite having to be in work the following morning.
The survey revealed that more than half of birthday celebrations are paid for by colleagues chipping in together, with almost half of office workers contributing over 10 euros.
This one made us sad – one in ten employees provide their own birthday cake in the office.
The gift of a day off was the obvious preferred choice of respondents at 38 per cent, just ahead of a small bonus with cakes and flowers following behind.
“Employers would do well to take note of these findings,” commented Michael Walby, Director of Viking in Ireland. “For the cost of just a simple cake or flowers, marking an employee’s birthday can mean a lot in terms of improving office morale and thus productivity.”
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My company gives a half day on the closest Friday to the employees birthday which is great! Not a full day, but it’s a nice gesture.
People who bring in their own cakes are pathetic attention seekers. Grow up, its only a birthday.
It’s European custom for the birthday person to bring cake.
@Shanners The map hanging on my wall clearly shows the island
Ireland to be located in Europe. [...?] .ie. Ireland is located in Europe.
Irish people, born-and-living in Europe, are Europeans: European people?
Even when/if Republic of Ireland gets the boot from the EU, Irish
people will still be European people? Unless the plan is to sail to Boston?
Alright Noel, Central Europe, is that better? xoxox
we do birthday cakes in our dept….then again our dept love cake a lot!!
Bakery?
nope work in an office! we’re not allowed to drink in work so next best thing!
What your not allowed drink in work!? It’s not like you have a right to drink so the excuse for you loving cake in work is invalid.
Hey Abdul, pour a glass of Schnapps and chill out!
A day off for your birthday, really?
Was this a survey of school children?
(and nobody ever gets me any cake, bah humbug!)
I no eleverys sports give u ur birthday off as an extra days holidays lol
I’m not really into birthdays and was quite happy working in places that didn’t make a big deal out of it. It’s actually a lot of stress trying to get together all the stuff even if its just a cake, card and flowers and then collect people’s contributions. I think for milestones it’s a nice idea, but we’re eating cake every bloody week and then you’re obliged to stand around chatting awkwardly for 20 minutes. A day off is a bit much. Fine if you’ve booked it as a holiday but c’mon!
Yeah, I agree. Birthday celebrations have no place in work. You get paid to go a job, not stand around eating cake.
I think it’s an invasion of privacy to be announcing birthdays in work.
I like cake
cake and more cake…tradition we always do in the office. more important birthdays such as 21, 30, 50 etc….we do that bit more such as card, flowers, cake and chocolates
You’ll notice the office bosses will make sure everybody knows when their birthdays are…..
Ah here leave it out
To be honest, I don’t ever want my birthday celebrated in work…
Only 7 year olds miss having their birthdays being made a fuss of!!
I just take my weeks holidays for my birthday
what I was going to say, always do it
Seems childish alright.
I think if you want to bring in cake, do it at lunch.
If you want the boss to notice, well, I’m sorry, but realistically – who cares ?
If you want a day/week off, book it in asvance.
At the end if the day, this IS a workplace.
Though I suppose it also would depend on how close you are with your colleagues.
I worked in a German manufacturing org and a German colleague brought in his own birthday cake, was the first time I’d seen someone do it he was surprised it wasn’t commonplace! He didn’t do it the year after though!
I’ve worked for a company that went to extremes to celebrate some staff members birthdays, but totally ignored others… It was the most distasteful act of ignorance I have come across.
My birthday was last week and I’m only in the company I’m in 2 months, so I was expecting to sneak it under the radar and go home, but they had a signed card and cake for me which was a really nice surprise. It’s not even about the birthday itself, I think it puts a human face on your employer and shows they have an interest in their staff, plus it’s free cake for everyone and a 10 minute break from work! What’s not to like.
Invasion of privacy. Peoples working lives and personal lives should be kept separate. Same with all other events… engagements, births, deaths… I don’t care if Michelle in accounts got engaged at the weekend or if Jacks mother died ( the mother we never heard of or saw before)… just keep your life out of my face thanks. As for peoples leaving do … such a scam.. ‘ oh lets all keep in touch” … reality check no one ever does because the person leaving often hates everyone they worked with and vice versa. Surveys like this one only reinforce my view that there are some serious tools in this country
In France the tradition is for the person celebrating their birthday to bring in some pain au chocolat, croissants etc. to eat with the morning coffee. I think it’s a nice gesture, and no, there is no signing of “Happy Birthday”, all very understated.
In most companies I worked in birthdays were noted with a few cakes but it was up to the people involved to sort it out. Do people seriously think they should be entitled to a day off for their birhtday? That’s seems a bit much. If you’re that anxious not to be in work on your birthday take a day off!
Day off seems appropriate. Nobody likes cake anyway.
Including week ends ,holidays and public holidays you have 133 days off each year and you want another one .
Are birthdays part of core pay? One benefit of been self-employed I guess get the day off but no pay. You will never guess its actually my birthday today so wheres the cake?
Country can’t afford this crap. The amount of school time wasted for kids birthdays is ridiculous.
I wouldn’t hire any grown adult who thinks their boss should get them a birthday cake. These people need to grown up.
I think it’s sad, that folk think it’s sad that some employees bring in their own cake
and eat it? It’s normal (at least in the Netherlands and Germany)? I mean, who has
time to remember everyone’s birthday? Just ‘the way it’s done’. Tradition, y’know?
-
And another thing that’s done, when you visit someone’s home on the day of their
birthday (when you’re invited I mean) you’ll notice that everyone congratulates all
those present. That’s not thought about either and there are no US corps. running
questionnaires in various back-offices&c. to provoke any thought on the subject.
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But, to state off-hand that theJournal staff(-w.) consider another’s ‘trad.’ to-be ‘sad’.[?]
If I’m correct, the findings of the US corp. subsidiary featured in this article states
Irish don’t even have a standard, cultural-norm where it comes to b-day celebration?
There’s just none; besides the odd story from overseas interests… trying to study ye?
~):(~
Aye, the Indians bring in cake too on their birthdays. Nice tradition. Nice to come into work and get a bit of cake.
Just let them eat cake .momm momm
Can’t we be upbeat: “Nearly half of Irish companies celebrate their workers’ birthdays”??
I havent celebrated my birthday in years, not into all the big thing, a happy birthday wish will do me. And by the way, it’s my birthday this friday lol
My birthday has nothing to do with my workplace.
Seriously? Respondents want their boss to give them cake and a day off? There can’t have been any Govt departments contacted!! Milestone birthdays are acknowledged by co-workers with tea and cake paid for by donations. We don’t get perks like that.
That’ll help the recovery. A million man years of productivity lost to celebrate a few drones birthdays. Get a ******* grip of yourselves.
Lighten up party animals, nothing like cake and buns to get a break from the daily mundane office muck.
if your job is that bad get a better one.
have your say